Er.sup.3+ doped fiber amplifiers have revolutionized optical telecommunications by providing all-optical high-gain, low-noise amplification without the need for costly electronic repeaters. However, current amplifiers are not well suited for multichannel amplification due to the strong dependence of their gain as a function of wavelength. The fluorinated aluminosilicate glasses provide superior gain flatness in the 1530-1560 nm wavelength band over type I and type II silica. This enables simultaneous uniform amplification of multiple wavelengths for a 4-32.times. increase in bandwidth in both fiber and planar devices. This also makes high data rate communication systems practical and affordable. For example, 16 channels at 10 Gb/s (OC-192 Standard) for 160 Gb/s.sup.2 or even 32 channels at 2.4 gb/s (OC-48 Standard) for 76.8 Gb/s total capacity are possible.
Recent developments show that fluorinating Er.sup.3+ doped SiO.sub.2 increases the fluorescence bandwidth emission at 1550 nm. The art also shows that Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 additions increase the fluorescence line width and solubility of Er.sup.3+.